Defiance
by WinterDrake
Summary: The Dragonborn refuses to become Hermaeus Mora's Champion at the Summit of Apocrypha.


**Defiance**

 _Mul Qah Div_

The battle began with Miraak donning his golden, draconic armor. Not to be outdone, the Last Dragonborn did the same, using the Dragon Aspect Shout for the first time since she had learned all three words. The warrior felt the power of the Shout flow through her as her body was enveloped with the otherworldly armor, just like its creator before her. The Shout almost completely erased the unease and fear she had been feeling before the battle began. The younger Dragonborn now felt like she could defeat her enemy.

Above both Dragonborn, Sahrotaar roared as it attacked the other two dragons, Relonikiv and Kruziikrel. The serpentine dragon that flew the Last Dragonborn to the summit was still under the influence of her Bend Will Shout. The dragon was a much needed ally. He would be able to keep the other two dragons busy as she focused on Miraak.

"So, you use my own Shout against me. You learn quickly." The Last Dragonborn could hear the grudging respect in Miraak's voice at the armor she had conjured. The warrior felt a small bit pride at his words.

"And now and I'll defeat your own Shout, traitor."

"You will try. Now come!" Miraak's voice oozed confidence, which angered the younger Dragonborn. She would soon teach him a lesson for underestimating her. The Dragon Priest just stood there with a golden sword in hand while the female Dragonborn raised her greatsword and charged at him. The warrior narrowed her eyes at the man's aloof posture. It was like Miraak didn't think she would be able to do anything to him. She was wary but both of them had just used their Shouts so he would not-

 _Ven Gar Nos_

The woman barely dodged the attack, leaping out of the way to the right. She didn't stop her charge but she was surprised. It looked like Miraak could use his Dragon Shouts at a higher frequency than her. She hadn't been expecting him to use another so quickly. It was understandable, however, since her foe was so much older than her. The Last Dragonborn wondered how long it took Miraak to do such a thing. Would she live long enough to be able to do the same?

As soon as Miraak saw that his Shout had been dodged, he switched weapons and unleashed an odd attack from a golden staff. A spray of oily blackness hit the Last Dragonborn square in the chest as she had been continuing forward.

The female Dragonborn screamed as her body erupted in pain. She almost dropped her sword in shock but was able to hold on to it. The woman doubled over in pain and frantically tried to wipe off the thick black substance from herself. That was another attack she had not been expecting. Just what the hell did that bastard hit her with? Whatever enchantment the staff had was strong and her Dragon Aspect armor did not do much to protect her against it. The black substance quickly fell to the ground, torn off from the warrior's body but it left her poisoned. She felt faint with its strength but forced herself to move.

Focusing on the battle once more, Last Dragonborn saw that Miraak was close to her. He now had the golden blade one one had again and was readying a powerful spell in the other. The woman clumsily dodged the shock spell sent her way, gritting her teeth at the wave of pain and dizziness the movement caused. When Miraak came closer to slash at her, the female Dragonborn thrust halfheartedly with her own greatsword to make him back away. Miraak easily dodged the swing but he had put a little bit of distance between them. That was what she wanted.

Planting her blade point down on the ground with one hand, the female warrior made as if to cast a spell. But instead she Shouted, feeling herself recharged enough to use another. Miraak was too close to dodge it.

 _Fus Ro Dah_

As the younger Dragonborn let the attack out, she grasped her blade with both hands and raised it high. She ignored the dizziness she felt and and leapt forward to slash down at her enemy. Miraak stumbled at her Shout's power but he was not as affected as the woman thought he would be. The man recovered fast enough to block her downward slash with the flat of his own smaller blade. He placed the the palm of his unequipped hand near the tip of his blade to give him extra strength in halting the larger greatsword. The Last Dragonborn was as close as she had ever been to Miraak. His mask obscured his face so she could not tell what he was thinking, but she wished to. You could tell a lot from a man's face in battle.

Both combatants struggled with their swords locked until Miraak finally moved his own. He swiftly shifted his sword and removed his palm from the tip, while still pressed against her own larger one, so the point faced downward and away from him. The move was unexpected, and the female warrior was startled as her sword slipped down and off his blade, causing her to become unbalanced.

As the younger warrior tried to recover, Miraak attacked with his sword. His first two slashes missed the intended target of her face and neck and hit her armored shoulders instead as the woman shifted away, even while unbalanced. Though the attacks did not penetrate her armor, she could feel the power behind them and they still hurt. The man's third attack was much more successful. His sword found a gap in both her Dragon Aspect and heavy armor and slid inside and into the flesh beneath. The younger Dragonborn once again screamed in pain and swung her greatsword horizontally, forcing her attacker to jump back. She would not be fast enough to swing again so she backed away, feeling the fear she had experienced at the start of the battle resurfacing. Her heart was pounding and she was panting for breath. The First Dragonborn had gotten the better of her too many times in this battle already. She was better than this, surely?

"Are you so confidant now? I have drawn first blood." Miraak brandished the golden sword, the tip stained red with her blood.

"Shut up!" The woman growled, her voice hoarse with pain. Greatswords were powerful but slow. The last Dragonborn was paying for her choice of weapon now.

 _Ven Gar Nos_

The pain making her slower, she was not able to dodge the Shout this time. It sent her flying back and she hit the ground hard. She hastily rolled over and just narrowly dodged another stream of black. Scrambling to her hands and knees in panic, she turned to the Dragon Priest.

 _Yol Toor Shul_

Her own Shout headed for Miraak as she stood up and grabbed a bottle she had strapped to her hip. She was fortunate that it had not broken in the fall. The flames of the Fire Breath Shout blinded Miraak for just enough time so the Dragonborn could gulp down the potion. The effect took hold immediately and she became invisible. As Miraak recovered, the female warrior dashed behind one of the monuments that littered the battlefield and crouched down.

"Hiding is beneath you, Dragonborn." Miraak's voice carried over to the Dragonborn as she pulled out several potions from a pack at her hip and hastily drank them down. Their healing effects were almost instantaneous and so was the increase to her magicka reserves thanks to a powerful fortify potion. Her wound, beneath the armor, began to knit together and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The female warrior allowed herself to breathe deeply a few times to calm herself down. Her heartbeat slowed and she focused on keeping down thoughts of her own defeat. She would win this battle, she tried to make herself believe. The warrior stayed there, listening to Miraak's careful footsteps, until she felt her body was ready to use another Shout.

Recovered once more, the woman sheathed her sword and jumped out from behind the monument, her mouth already forming another Shout. She knew she was visible once more but she hoped she could catcher her enemy by surprise. Miraak turned to face her due to the noise she made but he was too slow to escape the Last Dragonborn's attack.

 _Zun Hal Viik_

The Shout was effective and Miraak's staff was sent flying out of his hand and clattered onto the ground. When he tried to reobtain it, the Last Dragonborn sent out a fireball in his direction. He dodged that one and then the other, getting farther away from his weapon.

The female Dragonborn smirked as Miraak dodged a third fireball, her confidence growing again. She wasn't the greatest Magicka user but she could hold up well in battle. If she could keep Miraak away from his weapon long enough for her to take it then she would have a big advantage. Whatever enchantment on that thing was painful. She wanted Miraak to get a taste of his own medicine.

Before the warrior could even try to obtain the staff, Miraak once again Shouted.

 _Ven Gar Nos_

Instead of heading for his foe, the Shout was sent at the staff on the ground. It lifted the golden staff up and sent it flying. Keeping her eyes on the staff, the Dragonborn was unprepared for the shock spell that hit her. She grunted as pain engulfed her body but she forced her body to raise her hands. She saw Miraak run and snatch the staff back as it fell to towards the ground. As he did, he was hit with two fireball spells at once. He stumbled and growled in pain, turning to face his opponent.

The Last Dragonborn used a scroll to summon a Dremora Lord to her side as she drew out two new weapons, Dragonsbane and Dawnbreaker. She could not summon such a powerful ally normally so scrolls were her only option.

"A challenger is near!" The summoned creature's harsh voice cried out as he saw Miraak. The Dremora Lord unsheathed his Daedric warhammer and attacked the traitor Dragon Priest. The female warrior followed close behind with both swords ready.

 _Fo Krah Diin_

The Dragonborn swiftly tackled her summon out of the way of the Shout. The attack's icy chill was felt by both creatures. The Dremora Lord snarled at his summoner but then turned towards Miraak, not the least bit grateful for the save.

"Fall before me!" The dark creature demanded as he attacked. The female warrior followed suit, attacking her opponent on his other side.

Miraak was powerful but he was having a hard time facing two opponents at once. When Sahrotaar crashed down near the three warriors, Miraak was distracted long enough for the Dremora's warhammer to hit his right shoulder. He stumbled, his right arm becoming limp even with the protection of his Dragon Aspect armor. The successful hit allowed the dragonborn to slash him with both of her own blades. Miraak did not wear armor like the younger Dragonborn did so he was vulnerable. The swords easily pierced the cloth of his robes, below his conjured armor, and his legs. The First Dragonborn hissed in pain as his blood began to darken his robes. The younger Dragonborn felt satisfaction at her successful attack. Her enemy would be less mobile now that his legs were damaged.

Out of almost nowhere, the Dremora Lord was snatched up by one of the dragons while the other dragon sent a breath of frost in the female warrior's direction. She fled its path but was forced away from the wounded Dragon Priest.

 _Feim Zii Gron_

Miraak's body became transparent. The younger warrior knew she could not hurt him in such a state. The shout had been used by her many times and she knew all she could do for now was wait. The Dragonborn readied herself for whatever Miraak would throw at her next.

 _Wuld Nah Kest_

Surprisingly, Miraak's second Shout sent him away from the Last Dragonborn and into a pool of black liquid near the edge of the battlefield. He disappeared as emerging tentacles almost seemed to drag him down.

"What just happened?" The female whispered to herself as she searched the battlefield for any sign of the First Dragonborn. Had the arrogant man fled? Then one of the dragons landed and, instead of attacking her immediately, stared off to the side. She was about to attack it when Miraak appeared from another pool of black liquid in the center of the summit.

"Kruziikrel…" The man began.

 _Ziil Los Dii Du_

With nothing but the power of his will, Miraak ripped out the soul of his dragon servant. Kruziikrel's body burned as his life was taken. The colorful streams of the dragon's soul were absorbed by his master. In moments, only Kruziikrel's skeletal remains were left. The Last Dragonborn looked on in shock at what had transpired. She shuddered in fear at the power her foe had. How was such a thing possible?

After the terrible act, Miraak's Become Ethereal Shout dissipated, as did the female warrior's own Dragon Aspect Shout. The masked man now looked as good as new, his own Dragon Aspect Armor still there, while she was weakened without it. The Dragon Priest flexed his right arm, as if testing it, before he sent a spell in her direction.

The female warrior dodged the frost spell sent her way, snapping out of her shock. She knew now that this battle would be one of the most difficult ones in her life. The Dragonborn was determined not to lose to the man before her, however.

* * *

Both Dragonborn were at their limit and knew the battle was nearing its end. The Last Dragonborn had brought with her many potions and scrolls and ended up using almost every single one. Scroll of Firestorm, Scroll of Conjure Frost Atronach and potions of restore Magicka were just a few among the many she used. She was left with nothing useful but a few healing potions now.

Both Sahrotaar and Relonikiv's souls had also been taken at this time and Miraak was left with no dragons. His weapons had lost their enchantments and his magicka was almost used up. Miraak did not have the potions and scrolls the Last Dragonborn did, which were the only reasons she was still standing. Miraak had none of these and once his magicka ran out, she would hopefully be able to defeat him in close combat. He still had the advantage of having his Dragon Aspect armor, the Shout still not having worn off on the man, but she still believed she would prevail.

 _Feim Zii Gron_

The Dragon Priest became transparent once more.

 _Wuld Nah Kest_

Miraak's Shout sent him into the poisonous waters of Apocrypha for a fourth time. He did not seem to be affected adversely by it like she was. He had thrown her in there once and oh, how that had burned. She had learned to avoid the dark water then.

The female Dragonborn lethargically prepared herself as she knew her foe would reappear once more. She was exhausted, more so than she ever remembered being. Her muscles ached and all she wanted was this to be over. Her armor would be useless after all the damage it had taken and she was covered in blood, most her own but some of it was her opponent's as well. Miraak had not fared much better. She knew he was exhausted and his robes were stained with much of his own blood as well.

It would be over soon though. It was time for both Dragonborn to end this battle. The female warrior waited for her enemy to reappear.

But he didn't. A minute passed. Then two. It had never taken him this long.

Finally, thinking Miraak had fled, the Dragonborn lowered her weapons. She was then startled when she saw the floating black masses of tentacles that signified Hermaeus Mora's arrival. Miraak then emerged from the pool. An unseen force from the Daedric Prince had him paralyzed and held him suspended above the pool. Soon after, she saw the tentacles and eye of Hermaeus Mora.

"Did you think to escape me, Miraak? You can hide _nothing_ from me here!" The Daedric prince was angry. A single dark tentacle raised itself from the black waters below the traitor. The Last Dragonborn knew that Hermaeus was going to kill the First Dragonborn.

"Wait!" The Dragonborn shouted as the tentacle prepared to spear through Miraak's body. She remembered the words Miraak spoke to her before he took Sahrotaar's soul. _Hermaeus Mora is laughing at us, you know._ She knew it to be true. Hermaeus Mora would win no matter the outcome of the battle between Dragonborn. If she won, the Gardener of Men would get his new Champion. If Miraak won, and the female Dragonborn doubted the Daedric Prince would let him, how long could escape the clutches of his Master?

"Please allow me to kill him, my lord." She asked, frantically thinking of some way to get out of becoming his Champion.

Hermaeus laughed, his voice causing the female warrior to wince. She loathed the creature's voice. How could Miraak stand that voice for so long?

"Ahh, my new Champion eagerly wishes to serve me. This is how a Champion should act! Your usefulness has ended, traitor. I'll allow your replacement to end your pathetic life." The Prince unceremoniously dropped the body of the First Dragonborn in front of the Last. As the Dragon Priest tried to rise, maybe to fight once more, a powerful shock spell tore through his body, courtesy of Hermaeus. The masked priest was on his knees in front of her, shuddering and breathing hard. It was almost a reversal of how she had first met Miraak, the younger Dragonborn thought.

The female warrior walked behind Miraak and pulled out Dragonsbane. She pulled him to his feet by the neck of his robes before settling the weapon against his throat. The woman stilled then, not knowing what to do. By killing him, she was just going to end up as the new servant of Hermaeus Mora. How could she get out of this? The only way she could think of was defying the Daedric Prince in his own realm, by not killing Miraak or allowing him to die. He was her only hope of freedom, as sad as it was to think.

"Why do you hesitate?" Miraak's bitter voice startled her. "Kill me and take your place as Hermaeus new toy."

"I would advise you to do as he says, my Champion. Let the traitor's blood be spilled one final time." The Daedra sounded gleeful in wanting to see his former servant be slaughtered. This was the creature she would end up serving if she did as he said. Her decision made, the Last Dragonborn lowered her weapon from Miraak's throat.

"... No."

" _What?"_ Hermaeus sounded furious, his voice booming around the realm.

"I won't serve you, monster. I won't kill him and I won't damn myself to end up in his place." The Last Dragonborn announced. Miraak seemed startled by her words, jerking to face her.

"You dare… Defy me? The one that gave you my knowledge and power!" The Prince's voice became louder with every word. The skies darkened and chill began to take hold of the realm.

"I already finished my end of the bargain when you took the life of Storn. I gave you the knowledge of the Skaal. I will not do anything else for you. I will _never_ become your Champion!"

"I will... _Not_ allow this. I _will_ have my Champion. You… You will stay here until you decide to serve me and kill this traitor with your own hands. I will accept nothing less, _Dragonborn_."

"I won't do it. Find yourself another fool."

"I will have no other. You will find that the residents of this plane are no longer as... Welcoming. How many times will they tear into you, never enough to let you die, before you give in? I am not impatient, I will wait for as long as it takes for my Champion to learn to serve me." Hermaeus words sent a spike of fear though the female Dragonborn but she stood strong. She would not show weakness in front of him.

"I'll find a way out before then." The woman vowed.

The entity's laughter was the only response she got as he faded away. The skies of Apocrypha returned to normal and the Last Dragonborn was left alone with Miraak on the Summit of Apocrypha.

"You are a fool." Miraak spoke finally. "I will not hesitate to kill you even if you have spared my life."

"I'll just have to keep up my guard then, won't I?" The Dragonborn said as she cautiously backed away from the man. Miraak tried to walk away, his pride hurt at being defeated and then spared, but he stumbled after a few steps. Hermaeus Mora's shock spell had been extremely powerful and he was still feeling its effects. The Dragon Priest hissed in pain as he moved to sit down. He would need to bind his wounds until his magicka replenished itself. The ripped fabric of his clothes would have to suffice for now.

"... Do you want me to heal you?" The female Dragonborn found herself saying as she watched the man. He was her only hope out of here now. If he died then she would be out of luck. She really didn't want to stick around after making a Daedric Prince angry.

"Why?"

"I want a truce. You are the only other person here I can speak to and would know best if there was any way to escape. I need you alive and capable if we are to get out of this." To be honest, the woman hadn't really wanted to kill Miraak anyway. She had just wanted to defeat him and prevent him from taking Solstheim.

Miraak was silent. He didn't have much of a choice. It was humiliating to only have the enemy he failed at killing be the one to help him now.

"... Will you allow me to heal you?" She asked again. Miraak sighed in resignation.

The woman took that as a yes and proceeded to cast a restoration spell. It took some time but Miraak was looking much better than before, but still not great. She handed him a potion of healing after. He took it without hesitation.

"If we get out, our truce will end. And I will kill you." Miraak spoke honestly.

"If we get out, you're going to be chained up and gagged in the deepest dungeon I can find." The Last Dragonborn retorted. She wouldn't admit it but she was relieved Miraak was willing to work with her for now.

The man scoffed at her words. If such a thing happened, they would not be able to hold him long. Killing him would be the best option for her, not that he would say that out loud. There was still a chance for him to return as the ruler of Solstheim yet. If the Last Dragonborn was foolish enough to try and help him escape then he would allow her.

Both Dragonborn were silent as they tried to recover from their battle, allowing themselves to rest a while. It would remain to be seen whether or not the two Dragonborn could figure out some way to escape before Hermaeus returned his attentions on them. For now though, the Prince seemed content with leaving them alone to dread whatever punishment he would send for them.

* * *

 _I have bunch of similar ideas to burn off so here's another one with Miraak and a female Dragonborn._ _This was done rather quickly (At least quick when it comes to me, which to be honest is not really all that quick. ;p) so hopefully it makes sense!_

 _Some dialogue has been used from the game!_


End file.
